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How To Craft An Attention-Grabbing Resume – 11/4/2014

Why your resume needs to focus on results, not tasks.

Much like a complex recipe, a resume contains many different ingredients. Within most, you’ll find several cups of previous responsibilities, a tablespoon of personal attributes, and a dash of future desires. Mix well, bake in a 350-degree oven until golden, and garnish with contact information. The result is usually a document that satisfies the rudimentary requirements…but is wholly lacking in flavor.

Utilize the AARQ method

In resume writing circles, AARQ stands for Action, Accomplishment/Result, and Quantify. Learning to use this time-tested method is invaluable for creating a resume that will capture and hold any hiring manager’s attention.

Create a list of your previous tasks. If you already have a typical resume, the list is probably already there in front of you.

Brainstorm for a bit. In particular, think about numbers related to each task. You can use approximate figures if necessary. These “taste” just as good. Note them next to each task.

Use the details you’ve noted to write out your AARQ statements.

For example, let’s say that you worked as a medical receptionist at your last job. One of the things you were responsible for each day was to update existing patient demographics. As such, your “action” was updating patient demographics. Your “accomplishment/result” was doing it efficiently. Now let’s think about numbers you need to “quantify” this result. How many patient records did you update each day? How long did it take you to verify/input the information?

Once you have numbers, even approximate ones, it’s time to write the AARQ. In this case, “Efficiently verified and updated approximately 15 patient medical records in less than three hours per day.”

Results lend credence to your claims.

This is one reason the AARQ method is so effective. If they’ve been in the industry for any amount of time, hiring managers and human resource professionals have learned that past success is often a reliable indicator of future success. Your resume may claim that you’re the best darn candidate in the entire city, but only results can prove it.

Results contain attractive numbers.

Healthcare organizations run on numbers: patients, staffing levels, costs of procedures, and the list goes on. Hiring managers are attracted to numbers—and AARQ statements provide the pertinent facts, figures, and percentages that pique their interest.

Results are interesting.

Your resume is not the only one on the hiring manger’s desk. It’s there with dozens of others—and his or her eyes are slowly glazing over as they claw their way out of the quicksand of tasks listed on each one. If you’re applying for a job within the healthcare industry, chances are good that the person doing the hiring is already familiar with the basic tasks involved in your former position. And if you’re changing careers, success is success regardless of industry—so, again, AARQ statements let you highlight it with results.

Writing a resume using the AARQ method takes time—but it is always time well spent. List your tasks, brainstorm around the numbers, and craft them into action-oriented statements. When you’re done, you’ll have a rich, delicious resume worthy of your next job.